No matter which year it is, call center services seamlessly adapt to new changes that arrive every year. As a manager, you have to be prepared for these changes.
Business owners and managers are very much aware of the fact that providing excellent customer service is essential for a successful business. If you run call center services, you can maximize this area to deliver the best customer support.
Learn more about the types of call center services and how you can operate them via in-house or outsourced management.
Types of call centers
Call centers are one of the operating departments that companies use to provide clients with a support system.
Allow us to give you the main types of call centers and explain how they are different from one another.
Inbound call center
First on the list: inbound call center. Inbound call center representatives field incoming customers’ calls from a business or organization.
Many companies opt to outsource inbound call centers due to its challenging characteristics of handling high volume of calls. If you need to hire your staff and invest resources for your inbound call center, it will cause you a great deal of investment.
Outsourcing inbound call centers is often more practical. You’ll also have access to trained staff that could handle both low or high call volume.
Inbound services include customer and technical support, order processing, email and chat support and help desk services. Your outsourced inbound call center may differ based on these services.
Outbound call center
Unlike inbound call centers where customers make the calls, outbound call centers initiate the calls. Outbound call center representatives make calls to their curated prospects to make a pitch for a business.
Outbound call centers are an important component of lead generation services. While this may include calling leads to acquire new customers, this includes appointment setting, customer surveys, market research and product recalls.
Virtual call center
Virtual or cloud-based call centers combine the services of inbound and outbound call centers. These virtual call centers can be operated from one place to another, without any special programming skills or equipment.
All you need is a computer or a phone with internet connection to access the service. Once established, virtual call centers can be easily integrated with your tools, such as CRM or other sales support systems.
In-house vs. outsourced call center
These three types of call centers we’ve listed above can be further categorized into two: in-house or outsourced call centers.
This will vary depending on your organization’s decision to let a third-party or an external service provider perform your services.
In-house call center
In-house means your own company can operate the call center services themselves. It will allocate jobs to it’s existing employees to provide customer service.
In-house teams would then make calls to acquire new customers. If you already know these in-house employees, it will be easier for you to distribute tasks and functions.
Since all processes that involve branding are now performed by your in-house teams, they can be more consistent and quicker to resolve issues.
However, in-house call centers will push you to invest, find, hire, and train employees. Not to mention you’ll have to install technology, and find the office space you need. This will all contribute to the high amount of expenses required to maintain your own in-house call center.
Outsourced call center
If you find in-house call centers a bit costly and challenging, maybe outsourcing is for you.
Businesses don’t always need to develop or house their own call center, especially if you don’t have the staff and money to do so. Try to outsource your needs to a third party instead.
Many organizations turn to outsourcing primarily to save on costs and eliminate the hassle of hiring and staffing. If you want specific changes to the process, your BPO provider can incorporate those changes to tailor them to your needs.
However, outsourcing may also cause a disconnect between the company and the center. If it’s handled by an outsider, there could be a potential gap in the expected level of customer service and what the call center provides.
Both in-house and outsourced call centers are beneficial to your business success. But they also offer specific challenges and disadvantages. It’s up to you to determine which one is best for you.
What’s new in the call center services this 2022?
Now that you have an idea what types of call center services are most common out there, you can now proceed in identifying which is the best-fitting for your goals.
No matter which year it is, call center services seamlessly adapt to new changes that arrive every year. As a manager, you have to be prepared for these changes.
This is to anticipate customers’ demands on customer service and customer experience.
So, whether you are considering operating your own call center or looking to hire a service provider, you should start by considering the types of services you offer, your business needs, and your goals.
